


[Short] Out of Ammo and Out of Excuses

by ChibiKinesis



Category: Fallout 76
Genre: Apologies, Explicit Language, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Making Up, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:55:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28038777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiKinesis/pseuds/ChibiKinesis
Summary: Running low on ammo and stimpaks and getting chased up a watchtower with your ex-best friend (and awkward former crush) by a sheepsquatch and a handful of yao guai is far from practical or desirable, but the sheer boredom and awkwardness of waiting it out with him might finally be enough to get him to talk to you again.
Relationships: Male Resident/Male Resident, Male Vault Dweller/Male Vault Dweller, OC/OC, Original Character/Original Character, Original Male Character/Original Male Chatacter
Kudos: 2





	[Short] Out of Ammo and Out of Excuses

  
  
  
  
  
  


“S’pose we may as well get comfy. Gonna’ be up here for a while, whether you like it or not.” Theo looked over at Wes, who was glaring daggers at him from behind a messy veil of wet ginger fringe, with brows knit in irritation that he simply refused to verbalize. He took him in for the moment, eyes thoughftul, before finally lowering his gaze and turning away. He half-groaned, half-sighed as he surveyed the old tower for furniture they could utilize while they waited, and if he was lucky, something to hang his wet coat on.

All the while, he knew that firey gaze was still following his every movement. Trailing him as he shed his backpack, peeled off his coat, draped it over the back of one of the old fold-out chairs, and attempted to run his fingers through his drenched mess of black hair. Theo muttered something about his missing hair tie under his breath, but quickly shrugged it off and turned his attention back to making things more accommodating for the foreseeable future.

He shifted a few of the old crates around until they formed something akin to a chaise, and he moved one of the old sleeping bags onto them to form a makeshift cushion. It would be sufficient for the time being, he reckoned.

“Look, this spot’s all yours if ya-” Theo’s sentence was cut short as he noticed the water pooling in Wes’s spot - he hadn’t moved an inch, had he? His gaze panned up to find a familiar pair of brown eyes, but they were cast away from him, still narrow with some vague, negative emotion. Maybe several. “ _Jesus_ , Wes, you _better_ take somea’ that off to dry. You’re _gonna_ ’ screw around an’ get _sick_.”

“I’m _fine_.” Wes hissed, his stance tensing up as Theo took a step closer. “Don’t boss me. And just… keep your damn seat.”

It was times like those that Theo wondered what ever possessed Wes to save him if he really loathed him so much. But he reckoned their predicament wasn’t helping Wes’s mood any, either.

“Wes, I didn’t exactly have in mind gettin’ our asses chased up an old watchtower by a big irradiated _sheepclaw_ an’ some damn yao guai, either. Much less runnin’ this low on ammo, but…” He thought for a moment. “- this ain’t _my_ fault. This ain’t _your_ fault either. It’s _just_ … shitty circumstance, ‘kay? Ain’t no use tryin’ to pin the blame on anyone - it’s just the kinda’ shit that _happens_ out here-”

As if on cue, a loud howl rang out from some stories beneath them, sending a jolt up both of their spines.

“ _Christ_ … damn good thing he can’t climb steps, huh?” Theo was a lot more quick to recover his composure. “Look, I _know_ you don’t wanna’ be stuck up here, _least_ of all with _me_ , but… we’re _alive_ , at least. So can ya' maybe just... _chill_?”

After a long moment, Wes finally released the breath he’d pent up and slipped his backpack off his shoulders, placing it near the other sleeping bag that lay on the floor, where he opted to sit for the time being. God, he _so_ wanted to blame Theo for everything that’d happened that afternoon, _so_ wanted to be able to take his misplaced anger out on him, but he was right. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, really. They’d run into more enemies than they’d bargained for, and spent as much of their precious ammunition tending to them all. They’d been caught in the rain, ambushed by a handful of yao guai, and as if to add insult to injury, a Sheepsquatch was thrown into the mix.

“I mean, I would _assume_ it beats the alternative.” Theo added. “Unless you _really_ hate me _that_ much?”

Wes gave a gentle roll of the eyes. He thought to say that _he’d be willing to take his chances_ , but he knew damn well it was nothing but a bluff, and he knew Theo would see right through it, too. If Wes was being totally honest, the word stung. He could never _hate_ Theo. Not really. Not even after everything that happened between them back in the vault.

“You sure you don’t want this seat? There’re more crates I can make another one with. That’s bound to hurt your _bony ass_ after a while.” The only response he got was a glare, and he laughed quietly to himself. He grabbed the sleeping bag from his makeshift seat and placed it on the floor, so that one of the crates still served as support for his tired back, but so that he was more or less eye-level with Wes. “Atleast fold the damn thing over once or twice, Wes, _damn_. Hurts my ass just to _look_ at ya’ sittin’ on that flimsy thing.”

He pulled his bag closer and began to rummage through, retrieving two cans of water and some of the food he’d packed earlier, and passing one of each to a confused Wes.

“‘Least we ain’t low on food. Here. Just so happens I packed your favorite today.”

After a moment of deliberation, Wes finally accepted. He opened the makeshift paper wrapper to find a cramburger, and he nearly felt himself start salivating. _He’s not playing fair_ , Wes scoffed internally, but his hungry stomach hardly minded. “Tryin’ to bribe me now?”

“Maybe.” Theo flashed a small smile, but it was a bittersweet one. Wes’s expression fell to one of some mixture of irritated and sad. “Nah, I just… thought you might appreciate it. Look, I know that... no matter what I do, you ain’t _obligated_ to give me any second chances. In fact, I wouldn’t really blame ya’ if you don’t. Won’t stop me from _tryin_ ’ though.”

Wes looked up at him, and studied his face for a moment as he unwrapped his own food. It seemed he was addressing himself more than he was Wes, but there was a sincerity on Theo’s features that he hadn’t noticed before - perhaps it was because he hadn’t really given him a proper chance to express it. He looked back down at his burger for a moment before biting into it, and keeping his gaze lowered as he ate.

They sat quietly while they both ate - the rain, the wind, the occasional spray of distant gun fire, and that dumb, persistent squatch plundering around at the bottom of the tower the only noises they could hear from their safe perch.

Neither one of them was sure how much time had passed, but Theo reached back into his bag and fished out one more consumable - pre-packaged this time.

 _A funnel cake?_ Wes furrowed his brow again. _This sly bastard_. He _wanted_ to be _annoyed_ by it - he _wanted to believe_ that Theo was trying to ‘buy’ his friendship back, but deep down, he knew better. He knew, deep down, that he was sincere. His tired brown eyes watched his familiar, slender fingers do their best to break the awkward thing in half, before reaching the larger portion out for Wes to take. Cold as he was, Wes felt a warmth growing in his cheeks as he stretched to take it from him.

The dessert hardly stood a chance, and after they’d both eaten, another silence fell upon them - this one chewing at Theo’s nerves a bit more than the last. He was never the one to do all the talking in years passed, and he didn’t particularly enjoy it in the current tense either. God, what he wouldn’t give for Wes to say something, _anything_ , right about now. He was always the chatterbox when they were younger, and now he hardly spoke a word. At least not around Theo.

“… this really what we’re gonna’ do? Sit here in silence?” He asked. If he was being honest with himself, he missed it. He missed hearing Wes’s voice and the way he used to ramble and so many things about the way he used to be when they spent time together. The way he still was, according to Zoey, but he supposed he’d lost that privilege. “Do you really not have _anything_ to say to me? _Nothin’_?”

They exchanged looks for a fleeting moment, and when Wes shrugged and looked away again, a sigh of frustration finally flees Theo’s lungs as he did the same.

“Guess so.” the latter conceded with a tired huff. “S’pose that’s fair. An’ far be it from me to sit here an’ try to pry it outta’ ya’ or guilt ya’ into talkin, so I... guess I’ll just shut the hell up for a bit.”

Vibrations from the thundering footsteps below them rattled their way up the tower’s architecture; reassurance that they’d still be there a while, and enough to draw yet another tired breath. Theo shifted his weight back onto his knees and turned to unravel the bedroll he was sitting on, drawing his backpack closer to serve as a makeshift pillow, before stretching his tired limbs out and settling into the closest thing he could find to a comfortable position. He found his gaze fixated on the rain falling outside; he assumed most people would see it as an annoyance or an inconvenience, but there was something about it that calmed him.

Wes’s eyes trailed his every movement, considerably softened from the daggers he was gazing earlier. Though his brow was still narrowed, his gaze had grown thoughtful. He studied Theo’s scars - old and new alike. He came to rest on the one that was carved through his left eyebrow - the single one he remembered seeing before the vault door had opened. Zoey’s words rang fresh in his mind suddenly -

_Our father **hurt** him, Wes. And he took it all, because him being the one to take it meant he was sparing me from having to endure the same bullshit._

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Theo’s pipboy being tuned to Appalachia Radio, and its volume lowered to just-barely-above-audible.

“Hopefully that ain’t too bothersome.” Theo spoke, barely a decibel above the radio. He offered a window for Wes to object if he didn’t want to hear that drivel at that particular junction - one that never came. On the contrary, Wes welcomed the small bit of noise to break the silence and the monotony.

It was a welcomed distraction, but more short-lived than Wes would have preferred. The way the little bit of light came in through the window and seemed to feature that damned scar front-and-center was enough to send Wes right back into his previous train of thought. He wondered briefly if that was how Theo had earned that particular mark. He wondered briefly just how badly their father had hurt him. He opened his mouth to speak, but found the words weren’t coming very easily to him. Instead, he drew a breath, and reconsidered.

God, he wanted answers. He’d wanted answers for so long, but the petty, spiteful part of him didn’t want to give Theo the impression he actually gave a damn. But the longer Wes dragged whatever one might call this little game out, the worse he started to feel for stringing him along. All the while, the thought of him taking his leave from Wes’s life again twisted his stomach in knots - but it was finally sinking in that he couldn’t have his cake and eat it too. He could tell Theo was starting to get fed up with it all, even if it didn’t stop him from putting in the effort.

It didn’t feel right to keep up the charade. Not when it was so clear to Wes that Theo was putting in so much effort and being so genuine.

 _I know he **hurt** you, but… he had a reason for what he did, Wes. I promise. I’m not saying it justifies that shit he pulled, but… maybe you’ll understand a little better once you hear it from him._ Zoey had said. _I’m not even asking you to **forgive** him, just… **talk** to him. That’s all I’m asking. **Please** , Wes._

“Theo, _what_ …” Through shaking lips, he finally found the gumption he needed to finish that query, “- what _happened_?”

Hearing his name took Theo by surprise, but not as much as hearing the tone in the question that followed. A tone that left no doubts in his mind as to the way the vague sentence was meant to be taken. He glanced over at Wes - he found a much different expression than what he’d gotten used to seeing - one of defeat and sadness, that wasn’t directed back at him, but rather at the worn planks beneath them - but one that created a dull ache in his heart nonetheless. He pondered his response for a moment, drawing a deep breath before casting his gaze back out the window.

“Well, I mean… how much has Zoey _told_ ya?”

Oh, no. Wes worried at his lip, remembering that she said he’d probably be pissed if he found out. “She didn’t -”

“Heh, _spare me_. I doubt you’d even be here if she didn’t _at least_ vouch for me. Much less usin’ my ‘new name’. I’m hardly in any kinda’ position to hold it against her.” Theo smiled a bittersweet smile. “An’ _thanks_ for that, by the way. For not usin’ _Ted_ or _Teddy_. I ‘preciate it more than you probably know.”

“Y-yeah…” Wes stammered, unable to raise an objection. “She, uh… she never really gave me details. She just kept sayin’ that… your dad was pretty shitty to you after your mom died, and that… you had your reasons for cutting me- “

The red head was quick to catch his err, but so was the brunette. The former wasn’t about to look over to see if he’d been caught, for fear of the embarrassment silencing him. His cheeks grew warm and he cast his glance down, and twiddled his thumbs.

“… for cutting _everyone_ off. That she could understand why you did it, even if it wasn’t the best choice, but… that I should at least hear you out.”

Theo shifted his gaze back to Wes’s face and watched thoughtfully as he spoke. He drew a deep breath and shifted his gaze again - he couldn’t bring himself to look at him as he finally spilled the beans.

“I _never_ meant… to hurt you the way I did, Wes. You were one a’ the few people in that vault I really considered a friend. After mom died, I… I didn’t know how to process that shit or cope with it. Let alone all the shit that came after, y’know?” He sighed. “But y’know who was even worse than me at handlin’ their emotions?”

Wes looked up at him for a moment as he awaited the answer.

“My old man. I mean, he was shitty to us even _before_ she died, but somethin’ in him just… _broke_ that day. He was always kinda’ _unstable_ when we were young, but he never got diagnosed or treated for… _whatever-the-hell_ he was dealin’ with. Typical fuckin’ bull-headed tough-guy West Virginian who _don’t need no help_. Nah, he just took it out on me an’ sis. An’ over time, he shifted her portion onto me too.” Theo took a short pause and a deep breath to recollect himself, and blink the burning feeling away from his eyes. “But I mean that’s how I’d preferred it anyway. If _I_ was his punchin’ bag, it meant he was leavin’ _her_ the hell alone.”

“Why didn’t you try to _do_ something? Or _tell_ someone?”

“Well, Zoey an’ I were both raised to keep that shit hush-hush, y’know? An’ it ain’t like we had anywhere to really go, back in the vault. An’ besides, like I said… I never really learned to process that kinda’ shit. After I took the brunt of it long enough, and after bottlin’ all that shit up, and not talkin’ to anyone about it, I just kinda’… _shut down_.” He glanced over to find Wes looking back at him; his gaze rested there for a moment before shifting elsewhere as he continued to speak. “I shut down, and I shut most everyone I cared about out. Because I was _so fuckin’ scared_ if he had the chance, he’d hurt them too. But especially _you_.”

Gods, that last sentence and the tone of its delivery sent a tremor up Wes’s spine. He fidgeted uncomfortably as he blinked back the mist in his eyes, trying not to dwell too much on it or lose momentum. “Did he ever… _hit_ you? Or get _physical_?”

“A few times, yeah. It was usually verbal, or emotional though.” Theo conceded with a soft sigh. “The one that hurt most was when my hair got just a little too long for his likin’. Bastard said I was _lettin’ myself turn into a sissy_. Fucker fought me to the floor, held me down, an’ took a pair a’ clippers to it.”

“I… I remember that. Well, not… _that_ , but… I remember the buzz cut.” Wes furrowed his brow as he connected the dots. “And everyone wondering what the hell happened.”

“I remember a few of ‘em sayin’ it looked like I got into a fight with a pair a’ clippers an’ lost. If only they knew the _half_ of it.” He chuckled bitterly. “Shit got so bad I even shut sis out for a while. Ain’t none of you guys deserved the way I treated y’all back then, though. I just… didnt’ _know_ any better.”

“The, uh… the hair thing...” Wes stammered, trying to find his words without coming off as too cold.

“Hm?”

“Is that why you… keep it long now?”

“Yeah, mostly.” Theo chuckled bitterly. “Been lettin’ it grow since his ass croaked.”

“It… looks a lot like your mama’s. I mean, _you_ look a lot like her, like… _overall_. So does Zoey, though.”

“I never gave it much thought, but maybe that’s part of why he _hated_ it so much.” Theo sighed. “Doesn’t justify the shit he pulled, by _any_ means, but… I dunno. Maybe that’s how his fucked up brain tried to rationalize it. Don’t suppose it matters much now though.”

“I’m sorry - I shouldn’ta brought it up-”

“You’ve got no reason to apologize to me.” Theo smiled to himself.

“That was just… a lotta’ _dark, heavy shit_.”

“Yeah, maybe, but it was also a dark, heavy weight offa’ my shoulders.” He exhaled, a sound of relief. “I’ve been luggin’ that shit around with me for six years. Feels fuckin’ good to be free of it after all this time, honestly. So thank you for listenin’.”

“Uh, y- _yeah_ …” Wes’s face scrunched up in an odd transition from perplexed, to angry, to sad as he tried to absorb it all. He knew it would take a while, but it didn’t stop him from trying. “Just… _God damn_ , man.”

“I know. I’m sorry. It’s… _a lot_ , I know. I didn’t dump all that on ya’ with any kinda' expectation of a response, though, so… don’t feel _too_ obligated.” Theo closed his eyes, filled with a sense of relief at finally venting everything he’d pent up for so long, but also at hearing that familiar voice speaking to him again; even if only a little.

He wasn’t surprised, though, as another silence descended upon them. This one seemed to weigh on the redhead more than it did Theo, though, and it wasn’t long before he broke it.

“I… I feel like I oughtta’ say somethin’ but I honestly dunno _what_ …” Wes stammered. Part of him wanted to shuffle over and offer him a hug, but it was _entirely_ too soon, and _entirely_ too awkward, for such a tender gesture. “It’s not that I don’t care, I just… _ugh_ -”

“It’s alright, Wes. Look, when it all boils down… I ain’t fishin’ for sympathy, and I’m not… I’m not askin’ you for instant forgiveness or a _get outta’ jail free_ card, I just… I needed you to hear my side of things. I realized a long time ago that I really fucked up back then, an’ I hope this at least gives you some closure about it all. But I wanna’ keep tryin’ to make it up to you if you’ll let me. I feel like it wasn’t just _some accident_ that you found me that day, an’ I wanna’ make the most of this second chance I’ve been given.”

“I mean, I _get_ it, Theo, I really _do_ , I just-” Wes wrung his hands in frustration. “Why didn’t you _tell me_ back then? We were best friends, I would’ve _understood_ , I would’ve _helped_ you, or… or _tried_ to, at _least_.”

“I don’t know. I was young an’ stupid an’ thought I could shoulder all that shit on my own, an’ I… didn’t realize how much damage I did to the people I loved til it was too late. I can’t go back an’ do it any different, Wes. I wish I _could_. All I can do is learn from my fuck-ups and _do better_.” Theo offered him a bittersweet smile. “You deserved so much better than the shit I pulled back then. _I’m so sorry_.”

The warmth and sincerity in his voice as he spoke those last three words created a soft, fluttery feeling in Wes’s stomach. He returned the glance and nodded solemnly, understandingly back at Theo, but remained unsure what else to say to him.

But suddenly, it dawned on him, and he looked away sheepishly, a warm but self satisfied smile on his lips. “No takebacks?”

He glanced back, eager to see Theo’s reaction to hearing those words after such a long time, and he wasn’t disappointed; his eyes grew wide, and he looked back at Wes in almost disbelief. But Theo's surprise quickly faded to a similar smile to the one he was receiving, and he hummed a low noise of contentedness. “No takebacks.”

There was a slight eruption of soft laughter and a fleeting giddiness exchanged between the two of them as they both settled back into their former positions, both of them much more at ease now, and both of them much more content to sit in a much more comfortable sort of quiet. Even the squatch down below wasn’t making as much noise, but now the urge to leave was far less pressing than it was before.

“… hey Wes?” Theo called softly, his eyes watching the rain drops once more.

“Yeah?”

It took him a moment to run the words through his mind in a way that didn’t sound weird, but he opted to just come out and say it instead. “I’ve… _really_ missed your voice.”

Oh, there came that pesky fluttering feeling again, and a warmth blossoming in Wes’s freckled cheeks, and some long-dormant feelings bubbling up ever-so-slightly for the first time in years, that he tried nervously to laugh off. “That’s… _pretty gay_.”

Theo chuckled; he wasn’t sure what sort of response he’d expected, but he couldn’t deny this was in the vein of possibilities, and he couldn’t resist breaking into a small smile. “Guess it _is_.”


End file.
